Method for producing a knitted fabric containing a flock-yarned in a flatbed knitting machine

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of producing a flake-yarned knit as required more particularly in achieving velour-type coverings. In this method the flake thread is bound in as a weft and/or warp thread in the knit on a flat knitting machine.

The present invention relates to a method of producing a flock-yarnedknit on a flat knitting machine as needed in the production ofvelour-type seat covers.

Hitherto velour fabrics are woven, which in the production of seatcovers necessitates fabrication, i.e. cutting to size and stitchingindividual webs of textiles.

It is thus the object of the present invention to produce a velour-typefabric by simple means permitting translation into three-dimensionalshapes without fabrication.

To start with, the method differs basically from known methods ofproducing velour fabrics by this fabric being knitted on a flat knittingmachine instead of being woven. To endow the fabric with a velour-typecharacter a flock thread is employed, i.e. a thread provided with aplurality of tiny hairs standing off transversely from the run of thethread, such flock threads being readily available commercially.

However, such threads are relatively stiff, this being the reason whythese threads have hitherto only found application in weaving technologyto achieve a velour fabric. Working a flock thread into a knit hasproven to be exceedingly difficult since looping the relatively stiffflock thread in the knit is hardly achievable by machine means. Inaccordance with the invention the flock thread is now no longer loopedin the knit as a usual looping thread, it instead being bound in thebasic knit as a weft and/or warp thread. This weft and/or warp threadmay be either looped in largish spacings or tucked in defined spacings.

More particularly, working-in a flock thread as a weft and/or warpthread into the outer, i.e. the upper ply of a multi-ply knit is a goodproposition when this knit is intended for use e.g. as a vehicle seatcover or a mobile seat cover.

Preferably, the flock threads running in the knit as weft or warp threadare bound in by a binding thread. The binding thread which may be runperpendicular, parallel or oblique to the flock thread, may be employednot only by its bind in the knit for binding the flock thread, but alsoused to achieve a specific pattern by correspondingly varying theguidance of the binding thread in the knit so that the binding threadhas not just a fastening function for the flock thread in the knit, itadditionally serving to enhance the visual effect. The color or thematerial aspects of the flock thread may be altered within the knit.When, for instance, the material aspects of the binding thread in theknit are alternated, differing demands in various portions of the seatcover may be taken into account by, for instance the seating surfacearea being stressed very much more than the backrest of a seat cover.Accordingly, a very much tougher binding thread could be put to use inthe seating surface area than, for example, in the backrest. Achieving atougher portion is also possible by a denser binding of the bindingthread or by making use in part of a thicker binding thread.Furthermore, by alternating the color of the binding thread a specificdesired visual effect, e.g. a logo may be applied to the surface of thecover. A desired visual effect may also be achieved, apart from changingthe color, material or thickness of the binding thread in part, also bya particular design in guiding the binding thread relative to the flockthread or by a specific bind of the binding thread. Thus, for instance,parts of the flock thread may be totally covered in part by the bindingthread so that in these portions only the binding thread is visualinstead of the flock thread. In this way both the flock thread isstabilized in the knit and a desired visual effect is achieved. Thebinding thread may also be produced of an elastic or thermalpost-shrinking material which contracts following a thermalafter-treatment, it not being until then that it ensures properstabilization of the flock thread in the knit.

Preferably the flock thread is thermally treated prior to it beingbound, so that the hairs of the flock thread stand on end, for thispurpose the flock thread being passed through a heating tunnel or over athermal brush or heating roll.

To achieve good binding of the flock thread in the knit the flock threadis preferably impressed into the needle bed of the flat knitting machineby a defined force by sinkers and/or sweep-ins, enabling knit portionsto be produced with a defined variable stability or elasticity.Enhancing the stability may also be achieved by binding-in the flockthread with a looped binding thread which impresses the flock threadinto the knit.

As already indicated above, binding-in the flock thread by the bindingthread may be varied over the width of the needle bed and/or from courseto course, enabling a velour character to be achieved exclusively incertain defined portions. One approach, for example, would be torestrict the velour character solely to the seating surface area facingupwards and the backrest portion facing the person and to leave out theside portions surrounding the seat frame.

Highly appealing visuals effects are achievable by dying and/orfinishing the flock thread different to that of the binding thread.Defining the flock thread to great advantage by the binding thread isattained by binding-in the flock thread to tuck by the binding thread sothat the flock thread is hardly deformed by being bound in which is veryeasy to achieve technically on a flat knitting machine. The flock threadmay also be selectively tucked at a looping thread or binding thread,the tuck loops preferably having a spacing of two to ten loops or walesdepending on the spacing. The flock thread may also be looped inspacings, of course, the spacing of the loops needing to be selectedlarger since forming a loop with the relatively stiff flock threadgreatly stresses the knitting machine.

The flock thread may also be defined in the knit by an additionalbinding thread when the knit is presented shifted front/rear 1×1 in atwo-bed machine, before wefting the flake thread and binding it in placeby front/rear and/or rear/front loop transfer of the binding thread.

A velour cover produced by the method in accordance with the inventionis thus very easy to configure partially in keeping with mechanicalstress requirements and is implementable highly individualized asregards both its shaping and its patterning.

It is naturally not necessary to run a flake thread in every course whenwefting the flake thread, i.e. the density of the visual effect isfreely definable by selecting the spacings between the individual flockthreads accordingly. It likewise not being necessary to include a flockthread in every wale when the flock thread is warped in the knit, i.e.here too, a defined velour density being achievable by setting thespacing individually. In addition, no or also normal threads may bewefted and/or warped alternatedly in a defined scheme, thus enablingpatterning as desired to be achieved. By a defined selection of thebinding loops, i.e. the loops of the binding thread, also in combinationwith a loop transfer or other needles or needle beds attractive patternsare achievable. The flock thread may also be warped and wefted in amutual weave in the knit (by means of the flat knitting machine) in asequential combination of the flock thread passages with the bindingthread passages.

For defining the flock thread on the knit by means of a binding thread asingle-ply bind is preferably suitable for producing a seat cover sackcover by varying the selection of the needle width or also in acontoured design, the important thing always being a homogenousconnection of the correspondingly border loops.

All of the binding and individualized patterning techniques as citedabove are achievable with optimized material employment.

A flake thread must not necessarily consist of a single supportingthread, it may also consist of several supporting threads to which theflock hairs are applied transversely to the direction of the supportingthread preferably by bonding, flock threads of this kind being readilycommercially available.

The important thing is controlling insertion of the flock threadrelative to other components of the knit such as the binding yarn, i.e.binding thread, pile thread in multi-ply knits and weft and/or warpthreads of normal thread materials, i.e. other than flock yarns.Specific countourings, structures and patterns are all achievable bylikewise binding-in a flock thread by means of a binding threadindividually controlled, the binding thread representing the normallooping thread as a rule. The binding thread may be configuredprincipally as a normal looping thread forming the knit by its looping.The binding thread or also several binding threads may also beincorporated additionally, however, as the second looping thread or asweft and/or warp thread, it being the way in which one or moreadditional binding threads is looped with the looping thread and/or theflock thread that may then be made use of to achieve a desired visualeffect, in addition to binding the flock thread. When an elastic orpost-shrinkable material is selected as the binding thread the stabilityof the cover and/or the velour density is even further improved. In amulti-ply knit a very positive effect is achievable by arranging theflock thread structure in the first ply and joining this first ply to asecond ply by a pile thread structure thus enabling velcro structure orloops to be defined in a knit on a support having a complementary velcrostructure, it, of course, not being necessary to achieve joining theplies by a pile thread structure.

The velcro structure may also be applied, of course, to the rear side ofa single-ply knit, the loops of the velcro structure being formed by thelooping thread, the binding thread or even the flock thread itself.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two examples of how loops are configured in aflock-yarned knit in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a basic loopingconfiguration of a flock-yarned knit. In the first course 1 the flockthread is tucked in every second loop on a first binding thread which isthe looping thread. Course 2 shows looping the first binding thread. Inthe third course a second binding thread is looped with the loopingthread in every second loop. This second binding thread serves toimpress the flock thread in the knit, and may also be eliminated inprinciple when the flock thread is impressed into the knit by sweeping.Course 4 is a repeat of course 1.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is illustrated a jacquard-patterned flockthread knit. The first two courses correspond to the basic knit as shownin FIG. 1. The third course shows a second binding thread partiallylooped (in the first six loops) to the first binding thread, i.e.neutral (not covering) the flock thread, and partially (in the secondsix loops) offset 1×1 on two needle beds. In these portions it coversthe flock thread almost completely and thus highlights the visual effectinstead of the flake thread. By defining the control of these coveringand non-covering portions any desired pattern, in this case a jacquardpattern, is achievable.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of producing a flock-yarned knit on aflat knitting machine, comprising: forming a knit with looped threadmaterial other than flock thread, and binding flock thread into the knitas unlooped warp thread, as unlooped weft thread or as both unloopedwarp thread and unlooped weft thread.
 2. A method according to claim 1,comprising forming a multi-ply knit and binding the flock thread intoonly a first ply of the knit.
 3. A method according to claim 2, whereinthe multiply knit includes a single ply containing a hook and loopfastener structure or loops and the method comprises joining the firstply to the single ply by a pile thread structure.
 4. A method accordingto claim 1, comprising binding the flock thread into the knit using abinding thread.
 5. A method according to claim 4, comprising binding theflock thread into the knit by tucking the binding thread.
 6. A methodaccording to claim 4, further comprising varying the run of the bindingthread over the width of the needle bed, over various courses or overboth the width of the needle bed and various courses.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 4, further comprising varying the material of thebinding thread over the width of the needle bed, over various coursesover both the width of the needle bed and various courses.
 8. A methodaccording to claim 1, comprising binding the flock thread into the knitusing an elastic binding thread.
 9. A method according to claim 1,comprising binding the flock thread into the knit employing a bindingthread of a thermal post-shrinking or stabilizing material.
 10. A methodaccording to claim 1, comprising thermally treating the flock threadprior to binding the flock thread into the knit.
 11. A method accordingto claim 1, comprising thermally treating the flock thread prior tobinding the flock thread into the knit by passing the flock threadthrough a heating tunnel or over a thermal brush or heating roll.
 12. Amethod according to claim 1, comprising impressing the flock thread inthe needle bed by plates, by sweepers or by both plates and sweepers.13. A method according to claim 1, comprising binding the flock threadinto the knit with a binding thread and wherein the binding in of theflock thread by the binding thread is varied over the width of theneedle bed.
 14. A method according to claim 1, comprising binding theflock thread into the knit with a binding thread and varying the bindingin of the flock thread by the binding thread from course to course. 15.A method according to claim 1, comprising using flock threads thatdiffer from one another in color, in finish or in both color and finish.16. A method according to claim 1, comprising binding the flock threadinto the knit using a binding thread that varies in color, in finish orin both color and finish.
 17. A method according to claim 1, comprisingforming a single ply knit having first and second sides, running theflock thread on a first side of the knit and integrating loops in theknit on the second side.
 18. A method according to claim 1, comprisingselectively tucking the flock thread.
 19. A flock-yarned knit made on aflat knitting machine by a method comprising: forming a knit with loopedthread material other than flock thread, and binding flock thread intothe knit as unlooped warp thread, as unlooped weft thread or as unloopedwarp and weft thread.